The present invention relates to a temporary, protective cover to overlie the wheel rim of an automobile when applying a protectant/cleaner to the tire. There are commercial products on the market for spraying, for example, onto the tires to clean, shine and protect the tires. Since such products may contain chemicals to dissolve dirt and grime, there is a need to find a way to cover the wheel rim against inadvertent spraying thereon which could cause a dulling of the polished wheel rim.
The prior art offers some proposals for protecting areas of automobiles during painting or other applications. Such prior art is described in the following U.S. patents:
a.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,191, to Farmer, teaches an automobile wheel protector comprising a disk cut from thin sheet material such as cardstock or plastic. The disk includes a radial cut from the center to the periphery thereof. A plurality of short radial slits is cut in the periphery spaced apart from the radial cut, and a plurality of tabs for engaging any of the slits is cut in the periphery and spaced apart from the radial cut in the opposite circumferential direction. Engaging a tab with a slit forms a cone and the spacings therebetween are selected to form cone diameters to match automobile wheel diameters. Finger holes are provided around the apex of a formed cone to permit holding the cone over a wheel while cleaning a tire on the wheel.
b.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,331, to Jarvis, relates to a protective shield for use during spray painting of automobile panels. The shield covers an automobile wheel and tire during the spray painting of panels adjacent the wheel. The shield comprises a circular disk larger than the tire, a segment removed from the disk along the bottom and a flange extending axially inward along the perimeter of the disk ending at the segment. The segment and the flange combine to make the shield free standing. A hand hold is provided comprising a U-shaped cut formed in the center of the disk producing a hinged flap for grasping the shield for moving it about.
c.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,440, to Fair, discloses a wheel shield for covering the wheel of an automobile so that the sidewall of the tire carried thereon can be sprayed with a protectant solution. The shield comprises a frusto-conical body having a circumferential rim on the large diameter open end thereof and a knob on the small diameter closed end thereof. On the top of the cylindrical rim a retainer member is provided having an angularly inwardly and outwardly extending free end portion. On the body adjacent the cylindrical rim and opposite the free end portion a reinforcing box structure is provided. When the shield is placed over the outer flange of the wheel, a manual push applied on the front surface of the box structure forces the free end portion into the crevice formed between the rim portion of the wheel and the tire to thereby detachably hold the shield on the wheel.
While the foregoing prior art offer some solutions for protecting portions of an automotive body or tires when performing work on the automobile, none present an inexpensive and convenient manner to protect the wheel rim while applying a protectant/cleanser to the side wall of a tire mounted on said wheel rim. The manner by which this is achieved by the present invention will become clearer from the description which follows, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.